To everything there is a season

Autumn 3033. Griff Siew is 54, Esther Siew is 38, Doris Siew is 12, Jeremy Siew is 9, Rebecca Siew is 6, Nadia Siew is 8 months
Last update: Spring 3032

There’s something oddly wistful about knowing for sure that Nadia is their last child, Esther thinks at times.

Not that she wants another – she had been very clear about that at the doctor’s office and Griff has taken care of the matter now – but still, the knowledge that she won’t, ever, can make her a little sad. Or perhaps it’s nostalgia.

It makes no sense, but when she tells Griff he knows precisely what she means. Nadia marks a period of their lives that is definitely over now.

They’ve spent the last twelve years in a haze of diapers and erratic sleeping patterns and will continue to do so for another couple of years before Nadia, too, is a big girl. It’s been exhausting and wonderful all at once – and nothing like she had imagined her life when she was younger.

Esther had thought she’d have one kid. Two, at most. She had been surprised at how much she enjoys family life and she can still be surprised to learn how, when she tells others about her life, she talks mainly about two things: her books and her kids.

“If there was a choice between this family and my career, I’d throw away the career in a heartbeat,” Griff had told her once, when they were expecting Jeremy and still lived in River City.

The offer still stands, she knows. It’s part of what makes it work. The fact that they’re both doing this, a hundred percent, sharing everything.

And they don’t fuss over details. So what if the house isn’t clean? It’s better that they grab hold of the nice autumn weather and spend time outdoors with the kids.

Griff has managed to infuse his own passion of all things outdoor in Doris who loves going on hikes with friends. It’s a healthy hobby that they encourage, especially now that she’s in high school and will start to obsess over other, less healthy things, any day now.

For as long as she loves doing it, she is allowed to pack some subs and some hot chocolate, bring her friends and go alone to the forest for a couple of hours.

It has been surprisingly uncomplicated to add Nadia to their family, Esther thinks. Rebecca is old enough to find it fascinating with a baby sister and Doris can babysit for shorter periods of time while they do some grocery shopping or tend to the garden.

It had been a bigger change to have Jeremy, to be honest. To go from one child to two.  Now they’ve already given up on peace and quiet and it doesn’t make as much of a difference with a fourth kid.

This fall, Esther decides that it’s time, once and for all, to get rid of those pregnancy pounds. She’s always been in shape before so it doesn’t take too much effort to get fit again – the only issue is time, really. She works out late at night when everyone’s asleep and Griff has meetings downtown.

Staying up late to wait for him is something she’s always done, and she finds that it’s an important kind of glue for their marriage.

He does the same when she is away and there’s a quiet sort of comfort in that, in knowing
that someone awaits your return. Besides, you’ve got to treasure the moment.

In addition to seeing each other as often as possible, they have her family over for dinner at least once a month – it’s important for the kids to have their grandparents around, Esther has decided. And since she’s the one with the large family, it’s her responsibility to see to it.

Doris and Nathaniel are good friends these days and usually run off the moment Nathaniel steps into the house.

Nathaniel is one year older so Doris looks up to him (but wouldn’t admit it) and he loves hanging out with girls in general, so it works out well. They hang out for hours in Doris’s room, playing computer games and gossiping about people at school.

It appears Martha has pulled herself together somewhat as far as Elise is concerned, which is something Esther and Griff have discussed at length over the past few years. Esther loves her sister more than anything, but she’s got to admit that Martha isn’t exactly going to be running for the Mother of the Year award any time soon. Though lately she seems to be much better at handling her daughter and she brings her to all the family gatherings.

Rebecca, of course, is thrilled about that.

This weekend they start making plans for a trip sometime soon. Martha is buried in work and Esther tries to finish another children’s book while handling the whole household at the same time and they both think the same thing: a spa weekend. Just the two of them. Hot tubs, booze and queen-sized beds.

It will be something to look forward to when the winter is upon them.

Another thing that might spice up this season is wedding planning, which is something Martha is at least hinting at. But you never know with her, Esther has realised a long time ago. She might decide to get married or she might jump ship entirely, finding something else she’d much rather do.

They’ll have to wait and see how her life turns out.

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* Martha and Esther are very different; I really can’t see Martha with four kids, cooking for the entire clan. 🙂